In an industry built on name recognition and reputation, Rocky Patel’s passion has brought his brand to heights unseen by most boutique cigar manufacturers. His hard work and long hours have been paying off in big ways. A survivor of the cigar boom, Patel has outlasted his competition with unrivaled persistence on his quest for perfection. With a grueling travel schedule, office responsibilities and production, Rocky still maintains the enthusiasm that he has had since day one. As he travels the world, putting his cigars in the mouths of his consumers, his passion extends beyond the retailer, allowing his customers the experience of meeting the man behind their favorite smokes. Rocky Patel has created a company that has out shined even those created by multimillion-dollar corporations, and he’s doing it one customer at a time.

It was the mid-1990s when the premium cigar market was drastically changing. Rocky Patel lived and worked in Los Angeles as an entertainment and product liability lawyer. Through a friend, Rocky was introduced to cigars and was instantly fascinated by them. He then became one of the original founding members of the Grand Havana Club in Los Angeles. While dabbling in various investment ventures, Rocky was approached with a business plan to manufacture cigars. In 1996 at the RTDA in Cincinnati, Ohio, Indian Tabac Cigar Co. was formally introduced. With his eye-popping packaging, Patel went against the grain and this strategy has continued to pay off. While meeting new and unique people everywhere he goes, Rocky also hosts trips to Honduras for his customers, providing them with a one of a kind experience of witnessing his operation and passion first hand.

In 2003, Rocky put aside the Indian Tabac brand name he spent years building, to focus on the Rocky Patel Vintage Series. A superior smoke to anything Patel had created previous, the Vintage Series was made up of premium quality aged tobaccos. In Honduras, Rocky discovered unused bales of old Honduran-grown broadleaf and Ecuadorian Sumatra. He used these two different tobaccos to create both lines of the Vintage Series. The hard work Patel put into Vintage was worth it as he soon found out that the older tobacco performed significantly better than anything he had used before. He also cut back on production to focus on quality control. Instead of 400 to 500 Cigars being rolled a day, Rocky cut it back to 250. This left room for unprecedented craftsmanship and his attention to quality has produced a fine line of cigars.

Due to Rocky’s charisma, enthusiasm and personal approach, the cigar industry has definitely taken notice. No one can question his methods as the proof is in the pudding. However, while his company is thriving, Rocky is still on his quest for perfection. His greatest wish is to create the optimal tobacco mixture that makes his cigars ‘immortal’. Rocky believes that his cigars should evolve into the prime example for quality for generations. His hard work is paying off as he is building a brand that is being recognized everywhere. Rocky assures his consumers that, “You can expect more and you will get more”.

Appearance:

The Super Ligero has an oily sheen on the wrapper with an even hearty, dark brown color. It is a little on the solid side to the touch with a nice sweet hay smell on the pre-light.

Journey Profile:

1st quarter: Once lit, the cigar produced plenty of smoke at the foot. There was a slight resistance to the draw that gave off great aroma and rich full flavor to the palate. Also evident were a touch of creamy texture and a hint of spice that lingered on the finish. 2nd quarter: Spicy notes were present, especially through the nose. Nice and consistently sweet undertones on the palate were well balanced as woody notes developed. 3rd quarter: A very rich character developed in this portion of the cigar. Its solid construction offered a slow burn that produced a long and dense ash. Some cedar notes with a creamy texture and touches of cocoa lingered in the taste. 4th quarter: Rich earthy tones continued to grow with additional cedar and cocoa notes on the palate and in the air. The flavor and aroma intensified, producing a very rich and full flavor character.

Final Thoughts:

The Rocky Patel Super Ligero is a medium-full body cigar packed with full flavor and an alluring aroma. It has an outstanding construction that allows its complex, delicious flavor and full aroma to shine through – all of which makes the Ligero stand apart from the competition. It is an excellent cigar that will leave a long lasting impression.